Huge discrepancies
We have been looking at F-150s. Each time we find one that looks like a likely candidate, we call the dealership and ask about it, including the payload capacity. Four out of four people have given ...
Forum Discussion
spoon059 wrote:Lantley wrote:
When it comes to braking a big fallacy is that the trailer brakes stop the trailer. The reality is the trailer brakes stop the trailer with assistance from the truck brakes.
A dually will stop your trailer faster than a Tundra. A Tundra will stop your trailer faster than a Ford Ranger or Toyota Tacoma.
The trucks braking ability is part of the equation.
The electro magnetic brakes of most RV trailers are barely adequate.
Have you ever tested your trailer brakes? Once a season on a straight stretch of level roadway on an off-peak hour I test my trailer brakes. I get up to 55 or 60 mph and try to bring my entire rig to a controlled stop in a safe distance simply by using my trailer brake manual override. Every single time I have done this test I am able to quickly bring my entire rig to a stop in a reasonable distance.
I've never measured the distance, before someone asks... but I pick a sign or other landmark and pretend it is a light that just turned red and use the trailer brakes to stop. That's not a fallacy, that's reality.
In all honesty if you are driving like a moron and going too fast down a steep hill and are out of control, your truck brakes/trailer brakes/diesel jake brake will be maxed out trying to control your rig. The key to SAFETY (see that word again...?) is to control your speed BEFORE you get out of control. I've never towed out in the Rockies, nor will I with the Tundra, but I have towed in the Appalachians with no problems.
At the end of the day it's not my ability that I'm concerned with.
It is the ability of those that I am sharing the road with.
On a clear sunny day everything maybe Hunky Dory.
But I never know when someone may decide they want my lane more than I do. The may try to take it without warning. Someone may also decide to ignore a red light. Stuff happens!
When the unthinkable happens. I want to be within all my ratings in an attempt to avoid any type of collision or loss of control
While every little bit counts,I am certainly not relying solely on the barely adequate electro magnetic RV brakes that are found on 99% of trailer-able RV's.
Allowing lots of stopping distance is a good idea when towing.
However buying into the fallacy that the trailer brakes stop the trailer is a bad idea.
